Walker and Bailey JAILED!

[GBT]

From totalRL.com

THREE Rugby League stars, including Great Britain squad members Chev Walker and Ryan Bailey, have been jailed today.

Leeds Rhinos stars Ryan Bailey and Chev Walker have been given custodial sentences along with Rochdale Hornets' Paul Owen after being found guilty of violent disorder after the incident in Leeds City centre, which was caught on CCTV footage.

Walker has been given an 18-month sentence and forward Bailey a nine-month term, which both will spend in a young offenders' insistitution.

That rules both of them out of this year's Ashes series.

Rochdale player Owen, 24, was jailed for 15 months for his part in a fight which broke out outside Leeds night-club Creation in July last year.

Another Leeds Rhinos player, Dwayne Barker, 19, was ordered to do 150 hours of community service by Judge Paul Batty QC at Leeds Crown Court.

The judge said Barker had had a limited role in the violence.

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Some fans are calling for them to be sacked, is this going too far? After they have served their sentences, shouldn't they be available to commence their careers in the game?

Some kind of enforced community (Telling kids how not to behave, how to avoid Leeds at night) service by their clubs might be in order once they get out.

In typical fashion, this news has pushed Rugby League to the forefront of todays news bulletins. The BBC in particular seem to have recognised the existance of an hitherto strange sport, Rugby League, on their news pages.

 

[Anonymous]

What was the nature of the 'violent disorder?'

I know it was a fight of some sort but it must have been one hell of a blue.

 

[GBT]

This is seemingly what happened.

A girl either borrowed or nicked a mobile off Owen, the Rochdale player. Walker and the Leeds boys thought he was hassling her so they kicked off. Owen decked Barker fracturing his jaw, Walker and Bailey then set into Owen, kicking him whilst he was on the ground.

Walker: 18 months at Young Offenders
Bailey: 9 months at Young Offenders
Owen: 15 months jail
Barker: 150hrs community service

Seems like a case of the grog being in charge of a few too many faculties.

 

[Anonymous]

Sounds like they sorted it out. But you don't get 18 months for thumping someone... unless there were prior convictions or something else to damn you.

 

[GBT]

AFAIK there were no prior convictions. Obviously, the attack was seen by the judge to be of a violent enough nature to warrant those sentences. Leeds said the actions of their players were out of character.

Some think they got off lightly.

 

[terracesider]

From the UK Daily Telegraph

A four-minute video of the brawl was played which showed the Leeds players trading kicks and blows with Owen. At one point Owen is seen to punch Barker to the ground and, as he struggles to regain his feet, he is kicked in the head and knocked out.

Full story here

It's a bloody disgrace. They were only brawling amongst themselves. No oe else was involved. A fine would have been enough. The judge was probably a rah-rah puff. No word yet on any appeal against the sentence.

I did wonder why last weekend Walker had rid of the most ridiculous afro you've ever seen.

And God save us from any more sanctimonious tripe about role models, especially from the BBC.

 

[GBT]

At one point Owen is seen to punch Barker to the ground and, as he struggles to regain his feet, he is kicked in the head and knocked out.

Which could quite easily have ended in death.

Mind you, when you consider how Bowyer and Woodgate's unprovoked attack on an Asian student ended with a nothing sentence (The cowards pleaded not guilty), it does make you wonder at our so-called justice system.

I'm not condoning what happened, it was thuggery, even when you take into consideration that it involved no-one else.